Bugs is a Simulated Evolution program.

Bugs simulates a world which is inhabited by small bacteria and slightly larger bugs. The bacteria are food for the bugs. The bugs walk around through their donut-shaped world, eating bugs as they accidentally find them.

Each time a bug moves a step, it will cost the bug one energy. Energy can be restored by eating bacteria (the amount of energy that bacteria provide can be changed). If a bug does not eat enough bacteria, and loses all its energy, it will die. If a bug has reached an energy threshold, it will split itself into two new bugs. Each new bug gets half the energy of the 'parent' bug.

The search strategy of the bugs completely depends on the genetic information that each bug contains. The genetic information determines how often a bug changes direction, and what directions a bug favors. If the genetic code works well, the bug will find plenty of food. If the genetic code is faulty, the bug will starve.

When a bug splits into two new bugs, each bug will inherit the generic code of their 'parent' bug. But this inheritance is not perfect. The genetic code of each new bug contains one small mutation. If the mutation is good, the bug will survive. If the mutation is bad, the bug will starve.

To see how the growth of bacteria influences the genetic code of the bugs, it is possible to enable the Garden of Eden. In this Garden of Eden, the bacteria are plenty, and they grow faster than bacteria is any other place in the world.

Bugs that are living in the Garden of Eden may develop a genetic code that is completely different from the bugs that live outside the Garden of Eden. While bugs outside the Garden of Eden favor long straight lines, the bugs inside the Garden often walk in circles.

For more information on Bugs, download the program (and possibly a DOS emulator), and run the program, or read through the included Help.

System requirements: 80286 12MHz, EGA 16 colors graphic adapter.

The program was designed for MS-DOS, so you might need a DOS emulator if you want to run this program in a Windows environment.